IUMBB vs Michigan State Game Thread - Saturday at 4:00 ET

[Alford Bailey 12,415]

Just now, Stuhoo said:

And Zach?
5 rebounds, 3 assists, NO turnovers, took one shot (a three). And made it.
Yessir.

McRoberts and Newkirk with 32 min. each

[Alford Bailey 12,415]

13 minutes ago, Crimson and Cream said:

I still found him frustrating to watch, too out of control and seems to just be in a funk

4-11 from the field and a couple of those were junk. I thought he battled a little better but he is still a huge disappointment.

[bleedhoosier 3,627]

Man if McRoberts gains confidence on his shot, this team can turn a "ok" corner, considering injuries. He is better on defense than Hartman (quicker laterally) and is all over the place even when he doesn't come up with a ball.

And green is probably our best defender (guard). He will learn to not gamble so much. I want this guy to stay for 4 years.

I'm still maintaining that Rojo is our best player. I thought he was close but if he really has the drive game figured out, it's a wrap in my head. He's just complete other than a little turnover prone.

Jimmy is out of his mind right now. And engaged on defense?! We don't need great defense from him, just average will close rhe gap this team need to pull wins out. What a night for him.

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[Alford Bailey 12,415]

Newkirk 2-9 (0-3 from 3) with 2 TO in 32 min. Green 2-3 0 TO in 17 min

[bleedhoosier 3,627]

Newkirk 2-9 (0-3 from 3) with 2 TO in 32 min. Green 2-3 0 TO in 17 min

Yea it's absolutely obvious that Green is our guy. And Newkirk would be solid backing Green up. Newkirk still does good things. I think it's just a matter that Green isn't "solid" with the playbook yet. He's great in the open court game.

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[Alford Bailey 12,415]

Can JBJ play 35+ min. a game for us moving forward? Cant see it myself.

[bleedhoosier 3,627]

One more thing... how relieving was it to see Blackmon and Rojo running off multiple screens at times. Like where the heck has that been! Maybe it's just that we were setting actual screens for once.

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[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,628]

25 minutes ago, bleedhoosier said:

 I think it's just a matter that Green isn't "solid" with the playbook yet. He's great in the open court game.

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We have a playbook?

[Alford Bailey 12,415]

McRoberts HAS got to start hitting that open three that Colin would if he is going to play 30+ minutes. Id have him shooting every practice.

[moonjaws 21]

With the injuries subing isn't an option.That is one less part of the game to blow up.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,628]

In the post-game according to Crean, Zach McRoberts had 16 deflections and Thomas Bryant had 12.   Deflections are always important to CTC and I'm always shaking my head over how he comes up with his numbers.  Did some digging and back in November 2011 Dustin Dopirak (show of hands, how many remember DD?) put this definition together following a game against Butler.  FWIW, I'll probably continue to shake my head.

Indiana provided coach Tom Crean with a lot of statistical ammunition to praise his team’s defense on Sunday night. The Hoosiers forced a Butler team that typically takes outstanding care of the basketball into 21 turnovers. They held the Bulldogs to 38.2 percent shooting and 27.8 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, and adjusted well enough on explosive Butler guard Chrishawn Hopkins to hold him to just one field goal in the second half.

But the first statistic that Crean mentioned when he entered the Assembly Hall press room Sunday night were his team’s deflections, which are his measure of defensive activity. He said the Hoosiers had 74, which he said were the most any team he’s even been a part of — as a head coach or an assistant — had recorded.

But there’s no way to check that, of course, because deflections aren’t a standardized statistic and don’t appear in a box score. Crean has often used the term to discuss his team’s defensive activity, but was finally asked to define it last night.

“It’s not a rebound,” Crean said. “For us, it’s a charge. A shot-clock violation. It’s a tip. I tip it, you grab it, deflection for me, deflection for you. If it’s a blocked shot, if it’s a steal, if it’s a loose ball, but if it’s just not a rebound. If the ball’s loose off the board — now if it bounces off to midcourt, that’s another story — but if it’s loose off the board, that’s just a loose ball rebound, that’s a 50-50 ball.”

Crean did not go on to explain his entire definition to the point where one might be able to accurately chart deflections by watching game tape, but it does allow for certain deductions.

The deflection statistic is used by many coaches, not just Crean and not just those that are part of the coaching trees he belongs to. (Dustin’s note: Both coaches I covered at James Madison used them as well). Because the statistic is not standardized — no one charts who leads the Big Ten or Division I in the category — deflections are whatever a coach wants them to be, and obviously by Crean’s explanation, players are not required to literally deflect the ball to be credited with a deflection, though literal deflections certainly count.

In some cases, deflections are handed out with the same sort of logic as some football coaches give out helmet stickers. Just as everyone might get a helmet sticker for a win, some coaches give out deflections to all five defenders on the floor in case of a 35-second violation.

The point of the deflection statistic is not for a coach to measure his team against others, but more so to measure it against itself, and also as a metric for defensive activity, which helps coaches determine who should be on the floor and when. Because the definition somewhat fluid and malleable for coaching purposes, that also allows coaches to construct it so it fits their personal preferences for what they want on defense.

UPDATE, 7:53 p.m.: Crean was asked about deflections by a fan on his radio show on Monday night. Crean said that if a player gets even a finger tip on the basketball on defense, that’s a deflection. It doesn’t matter if the offense keeps the ball or not. Even if a pass is tipped and ends up in the opponent’s hands, it’s still a deflection.  It’s also a deflection, of course, if the ball is knocked out of bounds and stays with the opponent.

[incrediboy 926]

2 hours ago, bleedhoosier said:

One more thing... how relieving was it to see Blackmon and Rojo running off multiple screens at times. Like where the heck has that been! Maybe it's just that we were setting actual screens for once.

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I think McRoberts' minutes had a lot to do with that. That kid can really play. We get Juwan back, we'll be competitive with anyone. Not slap-your-mama-silly good but in every game and in the hunt for a B1G double bye.

[Stuhoo 81,802]

I think McRoberts' minutes had a lot to do with that. That kid can really play. We get Juwan back, we'll be competitive with anyone. Not slap-your-mama-silly good but in every game and in the hunt for a B1G double bye.

Well, folks aren't gonna be satisfied until we're a bunch of mama slappers! Lol

[Yogi's Picnic Basket 5,004]

Does McRoberts get a scholly next year if not he could look elsewhere. Since he is in state the financial aspect may not be that bad. Big bro may help with that as well.

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[recker222000 1,010]

Does McRoberts get a scholly next year if not he could look elsewhere. Since he is in state the financial aspect may not be that bad. Big bro may help with that as well.

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I doubt it cause there won't be any grants.

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[recker222000 1,010]

I think McRoberts' minutes had a lot to do with that. That kid can really play. We get Juwan back, we'll be competitive with anyone. Not slap-your-mama-silly good but in every game and in the hunt for a B1G double bye.

With morgan they can go 12-6.

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[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

Late to the party---watched the game and it was a big win!  We seem to play better each year when our back is against the wall. Us--versus the world mentality.  Here's to hoping we can keep the streak going at Michigan!

Thank you once again James Blackmon---came up big in two must-win games in a row. Does he have a third in him?

RoJo and JB are a great backcourt----sure wish we could get Hartman back---is that a remote possibility ---any news there?

Great to hear Dakich singing the praises of Davis and questioning TB. I feel the same way and hope TB gets dialed back in again like he was last year and that he quits falling so much in love with his perimeter game. We need him inside...

[bellj833 97]

In my opinion we played much better today because Crean was forced into a smaller rotation thus no ridiculous substitution patterns and left his best players in until they HAD to come out either to fatigue or foul troubles. That has been a major issue this year is Crean trying to go 10-11 deep with this team thinking he's going to wear teams down and keep our legs fresh when all it really does is disrupt the flow and chemistry of the players on the floor and not letting this team get into much of a groove. I think that once Morgan comes back, Freddie shouldn't see a minute of floor time and only have DD, (one of Cujo or Green), and McRoberts come off the bench. McRoberts is our new spark plug and glue guy and needs to be seeing more minutes in my opinion...he's basketball IQ is off the charts and hardly ever makes a mistake or shoots anything he shouldn't. Crean just needs to stop with his gimmick game plan of running and just be smart and play your best players as much as possible...like almost all teams do

[Stuhoo 81,802]

Freddie's athleticism allows him to defend 5 positions. He's not there yet, but he could be a pretty nice piece next year.

[bellj833 97]

Freddie has no business playing unless it's garbage time. His basketball IQ is non existent and when he's in on offense it's almost like we're playing 4 on 5 because you don't have to defend him and he's almost guaranteed to turn it over when he does touch the ball...I mean he double dribbled in the game yesterday. After elementary school ball that should NEVER happen! He's athletic yes, but a basketball player hardly. Play him during Priller time and that's fine. I honestly don't see what Crean sees in him. If we had gotten him as a freshman you have time to develop a player like him but with only 2 years you're wasting a scholly on a project